LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 03/2013

Bible Quotation for today/Teaching about Vows
Matthew 05/33-37: "“You have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—anything else you say comes from the Evil One.
 

Honour Your Vows, No Matter What!!
Elias Bejjani/Back home in my beloved Lebanon we have a very impressive popular proverb that simply shows how vital and how holy is for the righteous people who fear Almighty God and respect themselves to honor their vows and promises: "Men are not tied by their necks, but by their tongues" which means that people are committed for vows and promises that they utter and not by ropes tied around their neck to force them fulfill their commitments. This obligation of dignity and honor is stressed very clearly in the Holy Bible: "Matthew 05/33-37: "“You have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—anything else you say comes from the Evil One"./ trustworthy people respect, honor and fulfill their vows. BE ONE OF THEM, BE RIGHTEOUS, HONOUR YOUR VOWS

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
 Egypt, 2012: The Year In Fatwas/By Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPageMagazine.com/February 01/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 03/13
 Israeli airstrikes in Syria targeted multiple sites
Report: IAF strike in Syria hit Iranian Guards





US Ankara suicide bomber belonged to leftist group suspected of Burgas attack
Don’t mince words. Hezbollah are terrorists.
Israeli Warplanes Fly over Lebanon Again
Israel Media Warn of Hizbullah Reaction to Syria Air Strike
Hezbollah minister slams Hariri initiative
Watch out Hezbollah. Further Israeli air attacks on Syria seem increasingly likely
 Hezbollah member, Mohd Hayek charged with attempt on MP, Boutous Harb's life
Arsal ambush kills two Lebanese soldiers
Hezbollah, FPM shoot down Hariri vote plan
UNHCR: At Least 242,000 Syrian Refugees Currently in Lebanon
 Pope appoints Rai to three pontifical bodies
 FPM dismisses Hariri bid, Ghanem says worth considering
Four points of Hariri's electoral proposal
 Leaders condemn Israeli raid in Syria
Bassil reiterates opposition to refugee camps
 Lebanese Religious leaders split over civil marriage
Media draft law promises changes
Elections for Dar al-Fatwa council delayed 
Orthodox demand to head any future senate 
46-year-old kidnapped in Lebanon’s Metn
Canada Deplores Deadly Attack on U.S. Embassy in Turkey
 Canada Condemns Iran’s Continued Nuclear Proliferation
Canada Condemns Suicide Attack at Pakistani Mosques
 Six killed in Lebanon army clash with gunmen
 Syrian opposition to meet with U.S., Russia


'Israeli airstrikes in Syria targeted multiple sites'
By JPOST.COM STAFF LAST UPDATED: 02/02/2013/'Time' quotes Western officials as saying IAF jets hit several targets in Syria and US has given Israel green light to carry out more raids; Panetta: US supports all steps to prevent weapons from falling into terrorist hands. IAF raids overnight Tuesday struck multiple targets in Syria, Time magazine reported on Friday, citing Western intelligence officials.
Syria on Wednesday publicly accused Israel of striking a scientific research center northwest of Damascus, denying reports that the strike had targeted a suspected shipment of anti-aircraft missiles en route to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The description of the military research center that Syria claimed the IAF jets targeted fits the definition of Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center, which has been labeled a state organization responsible for developing biological and chemical weapons and transferring them to Hezbollah and Hamas.Time quoted a Western intelligence official as saying that the IAF had targeted at least one or two more targets overnight Tuesday and that the US has given Israel a green light to carry out additional strikes.
According to the Time report, Israel is not only concerned about unconventional weapons falling into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon, but that Jerusalem and Washington are also concerned with weapons falling into the hands of terrorist elements among the Syrian opposition forces, many of them linked to al-Qaida.
Time quoted one Western intelligence official as saying the US was prepared to carry out similar airstrikes in the Aleppo area if opposition forces threaten to take hold of sites believed to contain weapons of mass destruction in the region. US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told AFP on Friday that Washington was growing increasingly concerned that, as the situation in Syria deteriorates, the likelihood that weapons could fall into the hands of Hezbollah terrorists was growing. "The chaos in Syria has obviously created an environment where the possibility of these weapons, you know, going across the border and falling into the hands of Hezbollah has become a greater concern," Panetta stated. Panetta did not confirm the details of the alleged Israeli strike in Syria, but he stated that "the United States supports whatever steps are taken to make sure these weapons don't fall into the hands of terrorists." He added: "Without discussing the communications that we have on a regular basis with Israel or the specifics of that operation, because that's something they know more about, we have expressed the concern that we have to do everything we can to make sure that sophisticated weapons like SA-17 [anti-aircraft] missiles or, for that matter chemical biological weapons, do not fall into the hands of terrorists," he said.

Report: IAF strike in Syria hit Iranian Guards
By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON, YAAKOV LAPPIN/J.Post 02/01/2013/ Iraqi paper quotes source as saying alleged Israeli strike caused heavy casualties among Iranian Guards stationed at Syrian facility. Iraqi daily Azzaman quoted a Western diplomatic source as saying Thursday that the alleged Israeli attack on Syria reported on Wednesday caused heavy casualties among special Iranian Guards stationed at the Syrian facility. The source also said that the attack took place more than 48 hours before it was reported, eventually being leaked by Israel.
The source for the story, who was interviewed by the paper in London, said that the report about a strike on a convoy to Lebanon was probably meant to divert attention away from the main objective of the operation, which used F-16 aircraft to fire at least eight guided missiles at the facility.The source also said that the base was heavily fortified and contained experts from Russia and at least three thousand Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who have been guarding the site for years. Many of these Iranian Guards suffered casualties.
Israel most likely got its intelligence, said the source, from penetrating deep inside Iran and from other operations meant to penetrate Hezbollah.
The report came as outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday that there are signs that Iran is sending growing numbers of people and increasingly sophisticated weaponry to support Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"It appears that they may be increasing that involvement and that is a matter of great concern to us," she told reporters as she prepares to step down on Friday. "I think the numbers (of people) have increased ... There is a lot of concern that they are increasing the quality of the weapons, because Assad is using up his weaponry. So it's numbers and it's materiel."
Iran, Syria vow retaliation for attack
Tehran and Damascus on Thursday threatened an unspecified, “surprise” retaliation against Israel in response to the reported Israeli air strike on a Syrian weapons center the day before.
The Iranian regime’s English-language mouthpiece, Press TV, quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as saying that the “strike on Syria will have serious consequences for Tel Aviv.”
Syria issued its threat to retaliate through the country’s ambassador to Lebanon.Ali Abdul Karim Ali told a Hezbollah-run news website on Thursday that Damascus had the option of a “surprise decision” to respond to what it said was an Israeli air strike on a research center on the outskirts of the Syrian capital on Wednesday.
“Syria is engaged in defending its sovereignty and its land,” he added, without spelling out what the response might entail.
According to foreign sources, in 2007 Israeli jets bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear site, and no retaliation was forthcoming despite Syrian threats.
Last week, the Associated Press quoted a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader as saying that any attack on Syria would be seen by Tehran as an attack on itself.
The official, Ali Akbar Velayati, said the regime of Syrian President Assad was a central component of the “resistance front.”
Report: Syrian regime transferred nonconventional weapons to Hezbollah
Also on Thursday, the Saudi-based Al-Watan newspaper reported that the Syrian regime had transferred nonconventional weapons to Hezbollah.
Al-Watan, quoting unnamed sources from the Syrian opposition, reported that Assad had been transferring weapons to Hezbollah since the beginning of 2012, including 2 tons of mustard gas and long-range missiles, capable of carrying chemical warheads and traveling 300 kilometers.
Syrian opposition sources also claimed that the transfers to Hezbollah took place over 40 days, from mid-February to March 2012, the Saudi daily reported.
The chemical weapons transfer to Hezbollah was carried out under the supervision of Syrian Brig.-Gen. Ghassan Abbas. The Syrian source said that it observed these transfers since the beginning of last year.
The tankers drove through Damascus and Zabadani, and
then through Sirghaya on the Lebanese border, carrying the chemical weapons in blue barrels labeled “Chlorine Acid.”
They took the material to “Hezbollah warehouses and delivered it to a person nicknamed ‘Abu Talal,’ who was subordinate to the party leadership.”
The report also said that some of the chemical weapons were stored in a warehouse at the Mezze military airport, as well as at other locations around Syria.
The Syrian SANA news agency released a statement by the General Command of the Armed Forces, which sought to link the supposed strike to Israel’s support – and that of other countries – for the Syrian rebels.
“Warplanes violated Syrian airspace on Wednesday at dawn and bombarded a scientific research center responsible for raising our levels of resistance and self-defense. This attack came after Israel and other countries that oppose the Syrian people utilized their pawns in Syria to attack vital military locations,” the statement said.
General Command also said that the attack “martyred” two workers and wounded five others.
The “research center” building was also destroyed. It went on to deny claims that the attack targeted a convoy headed for Lebanon.
In addition, it stated, “The General Command said that it has become clear to everyone that Israel is the motivator, beneficiary and sometimes executor of the terrorist acts which target Syria and its resistant people, with some countries that support terrorism being accomplices in this, primarily Turkey and Qatar.”
An article in the Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily claimed that Syria would probably have to respond against Israel this time around.Wednesday’s attack on Syria “is very different from all previous raids at every level, and a non-response this time around would mean the acceptance of a new equation that Israel is trying to impose, in the form of shackles on the regime’s freedom of action. It is likely that the regime will be unable to accept these constraints without risking its very survival. Based on this, the more logical question has to do with the manner, nature, and scale of the Syrian response,” the paper said.
Hezbollah called it “a savage attack that carries out the Zionist entity’s policy, which aims at preventing any Arab and Muslim state from developing its technological and military capabilities,” according to its Al-Manar website.
Reuters and Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.

46-year-old kidnapped in Lebanon’s Metn
February 01, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A 46-year-old Lebanese man was snatched Friday morning in front of his home in the Metn town of Mansourieh which overlooks Beirut, security sources said. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Daily Star that four individuals in Mansourieh kidnapped Fadi Mitri, the owner of auto parts shop in Sin al-Fil, Beirut. The four individuals were seen in a burgundy-colored car, the sources said. An investigation is under way to determine the circumstances behind the kidnapping.

Six killed in Lebanon army clash with gunmen
Reuters – Four Lebanese soldiers and two gunmen were killed during clashes in the country's northern Bekaa Valley on Friday after militants attacked a Lebanese army unit, security sources said. The sources said fighting was continuing in the area, near the northeastern town of Arsal, a region close to the border with Syria where rebels are fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Residents said the clash broke out after the army entered the area to arrest a suspected member of the hardline anti-Assad Islamist group Jabhat al-Nusra, who was believed to travel frequently between Lebanon and Syria. Syrian rebels have hidden and regrouped in towns and villages on the mountainous Lebanese side of the poorly demarcated border during the revolt, which started with peaceful protests but turned violence after a crackdown. Syria's army has lobbed mortars over the border and even crossed into its smaller neighbor to fight rebels. Syrian troops have also shot civilian refugees fleeing violence. The civil war in Syria has divided Lebanon, with some Sunni Muslim groups calling for supporting the majority-Sunni uprising against Assad's minority rule. Other factions say Lebanon should stay out of the crisis. Rebel fighters have clashes in the past with the Lebanese army, which has historical ties to Damascus. (Reporting by Afif Diab; Editing by)

Hezbollah member, Mohd Hayek charged with attempt on MP, Boutous Harb's life
February 01, 2013/By Rima S. Aboulmona The Daily Star
BEIRUT: MP Butros Harb hailed Friday Lebanon’s judiciary after Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr charged a Hezbollah member with the June 2012 attempt on his life. “Finally, justice has triumphed over politics and arms and over political pressure that was being exerted by Hezbollah,” Harb told The Daily Star. Earlier in the day, Saqr charged Mahmoud Hayek, a member of Hezbollah’s security apparatus, with the assassination attempt on the Batroun MP. Hayek, who remains at large, was also charged with carrying out acts of terror after planting a bomb in the elevator of the building that houses Harb’s office in Badaro, Beirut. Judicial sources said Saqr referred the case to Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu Ghayda. Hezbollah has refused to hand over Hayek after his involvement in the case was uncovered, according to security sources. Harb said Friday that Hezbollah had put pressure on both political and judicial officials to prevent Hayek’s handover. “They even tried to cut a deal, wherein Hayek would give his testimony and then walk away,” the lawmaker said. Harb blasted the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati for “remaining silent about Hezbollah ministers and other ministers in this Cabinet who have provided support for Hayek.”“I will keep demanding that Hayek be handed over,” the March 14 opposition MP said, even as he says he is aware that his appeals will go unanswered.

Watch out Hezbollah. Further Israeli air attacks on Syria seem increasingly likely
2/1/2013/Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Israeli officials fear Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could soon lose control over his substantial arsenal of chemical and advanced weapons. In a possible power vacuum, these weapons could fall into the hands of hostile groups. Combined with Hezbollah's own domestic problems, this means that further military action is highly likely. "Israel finds itself, like it has many times in the past, facing a dilemma that only it knows how to respond to. And it could well be that we will reach a stage where we will have to make decisions," Tzachi Hanegbi, an incoming lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party said.
Hanegbi, speaking to Israel's Army Radio, would not confirm Israeli involvement in the airstrike. Israeli warplanes conducted a rare airstrike inside Syria this week. U.S. officials said the target was a convoy carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran. The Syrian military has denied the existence of any weapons shipment and said a military research facility outside Damascus was hit.
Syria has threatened to retaliate. In the meantime, Hezbollah condemned the attack as "barbaric aggression." Iran, which supplies arms to Syria, Hezbollah and the Hamas militant group in Gaza, said the airstrike would have significant implications for Israel. In addition, Syrian ally Russia said it appeared to be an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation. In a word of caution, it was noted that Damascus "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation," Syria's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali said. Israeli officials currently seem to be playing down the threats. "Israel took a big gamble out of the belief that Iran and Hezbollah won't retaliate. The question is, `Are they right or not?'" Moshe Maoz, a professor emeritus at Hebrew University who specializes in Syria said. Officials now believe that Assad's position in Syria is so precarious that he cannot risk opening a new front with Israel. With an estimated 60,000 Syrians killed in the civil war, Israeli officials also think it's too late for Assad to rally his bitterly divided nation behind him. "Syria is in such a bad state right now that an Israeli retaliation to a Syrian action would be harsh and could topple the regime. Therefore Syria is not responding," Maoz said.© 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

Don’t mince words. Hezbollah are terrorists.
Officially blacklisting the group will diminish its ability to serve its sinister Iranian masters.
Friday, 01 February 2013 09:00
Jihadi terrorism is still alive and, as events in Mali and Algeria show us, poses a direct threat to us. The turmoil in North Africa reminds us that jihadism has no boundaries and that when confronting terrorism it is always better to prevent it rather than deal with its consequences. The EU, however, sometimes refuses to face the reality of terrorism. One hot case in point is Hezbollah.
In July last year, a bus full of Israeli tourists was blown to pieces by a young suicide bomber in Burgas, Bulgaria — five Israelis and the Bulgarian bus driver were killed. All the evidence points to it being a plot conceived and executed by Hezbollah.
Yet despite this atrocity, some European governments are not willing to declare it a security threat and put it on the EU terrorist list. The refusal to do so is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of the group. Hezbollah is not just a Lebanese militia group and political party. It is the long arm of Iran. From its inception by Tehran in 1982, it has been committed to the revolutionary goals of the international expansion of Shia Islam, as dreamt of by the Ayatollah Khomeini.
The fact that it holds seats in Lebanon’s Parliament and posts in the Lebanese cabinet does not mean its leaders perceive themselves as just another Lebanese faction — albeit one that murders its political opponents (A UN tribunal found that Rafic Hariri, the Lebanese Prime Minister assassinated in 2005, was a victim of a Hezbollah plot) .
On the contrary, Hezbollah has a global vision and reach. It has perpetrated attacks in places as distant as Argentina, Georgia, Israel, Thailand, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, as well as Lebanon. It has been involved in illegal but very lucrative activities in Latin America and West Africa. For instance, it has run drug trafficking and money laundering operations in the jungle of Colombia under the control of the FARC. According to US officials Hezbollah is heavily involved in smuggling drugs into Europe.
Some argue that there is a difference between Hezbollah’s military wing, its political wing and its charitable activities. They are wrong — it is one single body and every part plays a role in the overall strategy. The leaders in charge of its hospitals and schools, the military leader, and the political representatives all seat together under the Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah. His deputy, Naim Qassem, was quoted as recently as October, saying “we don’t have a military wing and a political wing. We don’t have the Party of Allah and the Party of Resistance. These differences do not exist and are rejected”.
Hezbollah is committed violent revolution. It sees itself as being in total confrontation with our way of life. The idea that engaging Hezbollah through the Lebanese political process and institutions would moderate it has proved to be a dangerous illusion. And today, it is actively intervening in Syria on behalf of Bashar al Assad; we will know soon about the atrocities conducted by its militants there.
There are some governments in Europe that argue that the time to put Hezbollah in the EU terrorist list has not yet arrived. But what more is needed to let us take such a decision? Official bodies, private research, parliamentary inquiries, one after another, have revealed the terrorist connections.
We understand the caution of nations that have citizens living in Lebanon or peacekeeping troops deployed there. But fear cannot be a substitute for moral clarity. We need to remember that UNIFIL II was deployed in 2006 to disarm Hezbollah, not to become its hostage. From what we know, Hezbollah has been able to re-arm since the conflict there six years ago. According to Israeli intelligence, Hezbollah’s arsenal of 10,000 rockers was halved by the war; but today it has been expanded to five times the original figure despite the UN mission.
As Iran gets more nervous about the impact of sanctions, the possibility that Tehran may counterattack through its terrorist proxies has to be considered more serious by the day. Daniel Benjamin, the US State Department counterterrorism coordinator, stated in August that “we are increasingly concerned about Hezbollah’s activities on a number of fronts, including its stepped up terrorist campaign around the world... and we assess that Hezbollah could attack in Europe or elsewhere at anytime with little or no warning”. Putting Hezbollah in the terrorist list will diminish its ability to serve the sinister purposes of the ayatollahs in Tehran.
Some European governments said, after the attack in Bulgaria that considering whether to name Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation should wait until the official investigation reached its conclusion. Others argued in favour of designating just the so-called military wing as a terrorist body. We know from our own experience in Spain and Northern Ireland that terrorism cannot be defeated unless you tackle all the tentacles that serve the purposes of the terrorists and that includes the political and financial front organisations. Make no mistake — terror groups use all the means at their disposal to survive, flourish and achieve their plans..
Hezbollah is already present and active on European soil; its illegal activities and networks cover the continent. It has shown that it is willing to strike in Europe. That is why European governments must move now to stigmatise Hezbollah and its activities, vision and goals.
Hezbollah is not the Party of God, it is the Party of Terror, and we should treat it as such.
José María Aznar and David Trimble
January 29 2013
The TIMES
José María Aznar was Prime Minister of Spain, 1996 to 2004;
Lord Trimble was First Minister of Northern Ireland, 1998-2002 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998

Hezbollah minister slams Hariri initiative
Now Lebanon/Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Agriculture Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan slammed Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri’s political initiative on Friday.
“The arms excuse is not clever and the best law which provides the best representation is the proportionality [electoral law],” Hassan said in an interview to Voice of Lebanon radio station.
Hassan added that “Hezbollah leader Sayed Hassan Nasrallah announced his approval of the Orthodox Gathering proposal. When he announces such a thing, none of the Christians should feel the need to question his position. This especially goes for our allies.”Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri announced on Thursday evening a four-point political initiative. This proposal includes an election timetable based on a law that sets out to develop small constituencies within the country and a senate that will represent all religious sects, as defined by the Taif Accord.
Members of a parliamentary sub-committee began early in January with their discussions of different draft laws in an effort to choose a proposal that will replace the 1960 electoral law currently on the books. The country’s political circles remain divided over which law to adopt in spite of the cabinet’s approval in September of 2012 of a draft law based on proportionality and 13 electoral districts.
The Orthodox proposal—which the Future Movement and independent Christians oppose—proposes citizens vote in one electoral district along proportional lines for candidates of their own religious sect.
On Tuesday, Lebanon’s electoral sub-committee finalized its report for submission to the joint-parliamentary committee.

US Ankara suicide bomber belonged to leftist group suspected of Burgas attack
DEBKAfile Special Report February 1, 2013
Turkish interior minister Moammer Guler identified the suicide bomber who detonated an explosive Friday, Feb. 1 at the US embassy in Ankara killing a Turkish security guard as Ecevit Sanli, 31, a member of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C), a left-wing terrorist group outlawed in Turkey. He was released from Turkish jail eight months ago. debkafile: The DHKP/C, which is associated with Lebanese terrorist groups and Syrian left-wing factions, was suspected of the attack in Burgas, Bulgaria last July, which left five Israeli tourists dead. Sanli died detonating his explosive at a side entrance of the US embassy in Ankara Friday, Feb. 1, sending embassy staff diving into fortified shelters as smoke and debris rose in clouds over the fortified compound. A former broadcast journalist Didem Tuncay was seriously injured in the attack.
Local TV showed damage to a compound wall and a smashed embassy building window. No organization has taken responsibility for the attack.
debkafile’s counter-terror sources estimate that it was the work either of al Qaeda, Syrian intelligence or Hizballah, possibly as part of the payback for Israel’s air strike Wednesday against the Jamraya military complex near Damascus. That complex served both Hizballah and the Syrian army and Syria has already threatened retribution on the scale of an earthquake. It may also have been retaliation for the stationing of US Patriot missiles on the Turkish Syrian border and the meeting arranged for US Vice President Joe Biden with the Syrian opposition leader Mouaz Alkhatib in Munich, Germany. Plenty of warnings have issued from Tehran on all these counts. On Dec. 15, Iran’s armed forces chief Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi warned that the deployment of American anti-missile batteries in Turkey could cause a world war. Last Saturday, Jan. 26, Ali Akbar Velayati, a close aide of the Iranian supreme leader, declared that attacking Syria was tantamount to attacking Iran. Israel’s air strike may have been the last straw for Tehran, which warned the “Tel Aviv regime” would suffer “grave consequences.”
By targeting the US embassy in Turkey, the Iranians and their allies may have been starting to hit back for all these grievances at the same time: the Israeli attack, the Patriots and Washington’s support for the Syrian opposition.
If that is so, then the suicide bombing attack on the US embassy in Ankara won’t be the last act of terror planned by Syria, Hizballah and Iran, and it would not be the first time they have hired or enlisted local hit-men or sympathisers for an terrorist operation. Israel has accused Hizballah of being behind the Burgas attack. The Iranian-Syrian-Hizballah alliance has targeted US interests in Turkey for terrorist attacks before. On Aug. 21, 2012, seven months ago, a large bomb car blew up in the southern Turkish town of Gaziantep near the Syrian border, killing eight people and injuring at least 66. No findings were ever released from the investigation of that incident. According to our sources, the bomb car was rigged by a terrorist cell serving Syrian military intelligence in collaboration with Hizballah, like many other political hits carried out in Lebanon over the years. The Gaziantep attack was directed against the command center established in that town for US intelligence and special forces alongside a Free Syrian Army center.


Canada Condemns Iran’s Continued Nuclear Proliferation
February 1, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada strongly condemns reports that Iran intends to further expand its uranium-enrichment capacity.
“Such actions by Iran contravene its international obligations, counter the global will and undercut regional security. They are irresponsible and unacceptable.
“Canada calls on the United Nations Security Council to review this situation as a matter of non-compliance with its resolutions and consider appropriate censures.
“As a permanent member of the International Atomic Agency Board of Governors, Canada remains committed to ensuring the IAEA treats the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran with the seriousness it is due.”

Canada Deplores Deadly Attack on U.S. Embassy in Turkey
February 1, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada strongly condemns today’s deadly suicide bombing at the U.S. embassy in Ankara.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the victims of this cowardly act of violence and wish a full recovery to the injured.
“Canada remains a committed partner in the global struggle against terrorism in all its forms.”
All Canadian embassy personnel working in Ankara are safe and accounted for.

Canada Condemns Suicide Attack at Pakistani Mosques
February 1, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada condemns today’s deadly attack outside two mosques in Hangu, Pakistan, which killed at least 20 and wounded scores more.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my deepest sympathies to the victims’ families and friends, and I wish a swift recovery to the injured.
“This violent extremism—targeting people in their places of worship—is despicable and is a stark reminder of the grave threat that terrorism poses to the people of Pakistan and the region.
“We expect that the perpetrators of this horrendous attack will be brought to justice.
“Canada supports the courageous efforts of our allies to prevent extremist groups from arming and organizing within Pakistan.
“Canada will continue to work with the people of Pakistan and our allies to help Pakistan address the challenges it faces.”

Question: "Islamic antichrist? Will the antichrist be a Muslim?"
GotQuestions.org?
Answer: With the increasing tensions in the Middle East in recent years, and particularly the statements by Shiite Muslim extremists regarding the Twelfth Imam, many people have begun to ask how this relates to Bible prophecies. To answer, we must first find out who the Twelfth Imam is and what he is expected to do for Islam. Second, we must examine the statements by Shiite Muslims in relation to those hopes, and, third, we need to look to the Bible to shed light on the whole issue.
Within the Shiite branch of Islam, there have been twelve imams, or spiritual leaders appointed by Allah. These began with Imam Ali, cousin to Muhammad, who claimed the prophetic succession after Muhammad's death. Around A.D. 868, the Twelfth Imam, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad (or Muhammad al Mahdi), was born to the Eleventh Imam. Because his father was under intense persecution, the Mahdi was sent into hiding for his protection. About the age of 6, he briefly came out of hiding when his father was killed, but then went back into hiding. It is said that he has been hiding in caves ever since and will supernaturally return just before the day of judgment to eradicate all tyranny and oppression, bringing harmony and peace to the earth. He is the savior of the world in Shiite theology. According to one writer, the Mahdi will combine the dignity of Moses, the grace of Jesus, and the patience of Job in one perfect person.
The predictions about the Twelfth Imam have a striking similarity to Bible prophecies of the end times. According to Islamic prophecy, the Mahdi's return will be preceded by a number of events during three years of horrendous world chaos, and he will rule over the Arabs and the world for seven years. His appearance will be accompanied by two resurrections, one of the wicked and one of the righteous. According to Shiite teachings, the Mahdi's leadership will be accepted by Jesus, and the two great branches of Abraham's family will be reunited forever.
How do the statements of Shiite Muslims, such as the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, tie into this? Ahmadinejad is a deeply committed Shiite and claims that he is to personally prepare the world for the coming Mahdi. In order for the world to be saved, it must be in a state of chaos and subjugation, and Ahmadinejad feels he was directed by Allah to pave the way for that. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly made statements about destroying the enemies of Islam. The Iranian President and his cabinet have supposedly signed a contract with al Mahdi in which they pledge themselves to his work. When asked directly by ABC reporter Ann Curry in September 2009 about his apocalyptic statements, Ahmadinejad said, “Imam...will come with logic, with culture, with science. He will come so that there is no more war. No more enmity, hatred. No more conflict. He will call on everyone to enter a brotherly love. Of course, he will return with Jesus Christ. The two will come back together. And working together, they would fill this world with love.”
What does all this have to do with the Antichrist? According to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, there will be a “man of sin” revealed in the last days who will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God. In Daniel 7 we read of Daniel's vision of four beasts which represent kingdoms which play major roles in God's prophetic plan. The fourth beast is described (v. 7-8) as being dreadful, terrible, exceedingly strong, and different from those which came before it. It is also described as having a “little horn” which uproots other horns. This little horn is often identified as the Antichrist. In verse 25 he is described as speaking “great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (3 ½ years). In Daniel 8, the vision of the ram and the goat identifies a king who will arise in the last days (v. 23-25), destroy many people, and stand up against Christ, but this king will be broken. In Daniel 9:27 it is prophesied that the “prince that shall come” would make a 7-year covenant with many people and then bring in much desolation. Who will this Antichrist be? No one knows for certain, but many theories have been given, including the possibility that he will be an Arab.
Regardless of the various theories, there are a few parallels between the Bible and Shiite theology that we should note. First, the Bible says that the Antichrist's kingdom will rule the world for seven years, and Islam claims that the Twelfth Imam will rule the world for seven years. Second, Muslims anticipate three years of chaos before the revealing of the Twelfth Imam, and the Bible speaks of 3 ½ years of Tribulation before the Antichrist reveals himself by desecrating the Jewish temple. Third, the Antichrist is described as a deceiver who claims to bring peace, but who actually brings widespread war; the anticipation of the Twelfth Imam is that he will bring peace through massive war with the rest of the world.
Will the Antichrist be a Muslim? Only God knows. Are there connections between Islamic eschatology and Christian eschatology? There certainly seem to be direct correlations, though they are like reading the descriptions of a great battle, first from the perspective of the loser, trying to save face, and then from the perspective of the victor. Until we see the fulfillment of these things, we need to heed the words of 1 John 4:1-4, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Egypt, 2012: The Year In Fatwas
by Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPageMagazine.com
January 31, 2013
http://www.meforum.org/3439/egypt-fatwas
In previous decades in Egypt, the fatwas, or legal decrees issued by learned Muslims and based on Sharia law, revolved around questions like proper prayer, when and where women should wear the hijab, and if smoking was forbidden or permissible.
That was then.
The fatwas issued in the year 2012—the year when Islamists, spearheaded by the Muslim Brotherhood, assumed formal power—are, as one would expect, markedly different, that is, much less restrained. The popular Egyptian Arabic website El-Watan News recently compiled a list of 2012's most "notable" (a euphemism) fatwas. I translate a summary of their findings below, augmented with additional observations:
Destruction of the Pyramids and Sphinx
In November, Sheikh Murjan Salem al-Jawhari, a Salafi leader, called for the destruction of all idols, relics, and statues in Egypt, specifically mentioning the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids. He called on Muslims to destroy such "idols" just as they destroyed the Buddha statues in Afghanistan. Of course, several months earlier, in July, I reported how several prominent Islamic clerics were calling on President Morsi to "destroy the Pyramids and accomplish what the Sahabi Amr bin al-As [the first Muslim invader of Egypt] could not." Then and now, the MSM scoffed at the very idea, portraying it as a "hoax." To date, reports from Egypt confirm that "some of the statues have already been destroyed by those belonging to the political Islamist parties."
Marrying Minors (i.e., Pedophilia)
Dr. Yassir al-Burhami, Vice President of the Salafi Da'wa movement, and thus an authoritative figure among Egypt's Salafis, who are playing a prominent role in the nation's new parliament, opposed setting a minimum age in the new constitution concerning the marriage of minor girls, saying "they can get married at any time," and insisting that Sharia law is clear on this matter. Indeed, earlier, another cleric and member of Saudi Arabia's highest religious council, after saying that girls can be married "even if they are in the cradle," explained the fundamental criterion of when they can copulate: whenever "they are capable of being placed beneath and bearing the weight of the men," which has less to do with age and more to do with individual capacity.
Permitting Lies and Hypocrisy
Dr. Yassir al-Burhami also permitted wives to "lie to their husbands" about their whereabouts—if they were going to go and vote "yes" on the Sharia-heavy constitution in Egypt, and if their husbands would otherwise have disapproved. The ever-expedient Salafi leader also permitted Egypt to borrow money from the IMF, rationalizing the "forbidden" interest rate away as "administrative charges." (Islam forbids Muslim participation in monetary loans that charge interest, as does the IMF.)
Scrapping Camp David Accords
Sheikh Hashem Islam, member of the Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, said that the peace treaty with Israel contradicts the teachings of Sharia and should be annulled, quoting the Koran: "So do not weaken and call for peace while you are superior; and Allah is with you and will never deprive you of [the reward of] your deeds" (47:35). He added that "Jews cannot be trusted." The Islamic logic he and others use is that peace treaties with infidels are legitimate only when Muslims are weak and in need, whereas now that Egypt is under proper Muslim leadership, Allah will help it to defeat Israel.
Killing Anyone Protesting Islamization of Egypt
Sheikh Hashem Islam also permitted the killing of anti-Islamization protesters, portraying them as traitors committing "high treason." The Sheikh also exempted the murderers from having to pay the restitution required by Sharia to a Muslim victim's family. Sheikh Wagdi Ghoneim issued a similar fatwa, proclaiming any Muslim who rejects the Sharia-heavy constitution of being an apostate who must be fought and killed.
Obeying President Morsi
Sheikh Ahmed Mahlawi, the leader of an Alexandrian mosque, denounced all Muslims opposed to President Morsi, pointing out that the Koran declares it to be forbidden to disobey those in authority: "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger [Muhammad] and those in authority among you" (4:59). He added that Morsi should be obeyed whether he was elected or not—as long as he enforces the laws of Allah. In fact, according to Sharia, the Islamic ruler must always be obeyed—except whenever he fails to enforce Sharia.
Banning Greeting Christians
The Committee for Rights and Reform issued a Fatwa against congratulating Christian Copts on their religious holidays, notably Christmas and Easter, since Muslims do not share the beliefs specific to those holidays. As for the ever-reliable Salafi Sheikh Burhami, he further forbade Muslim cab and bus drivers from transporting Christian priests to their churches, which he depicted as "more forbidden than taking someone to a liquor bar."
Banning Saluting the Egyptian Flag
Abd al-Akhir Hamad, the mufti of the notorious Gama'a Islamiya (Islamic Group), denounced and forbade the saluting of the flag and the Egyptian national anthem, saying that doing so glorifies that which is other than Allah—not to mention music is simply "haram," that is, forbidden. Dar Al-Ifta' issued a counter-fatwa to allow for saluting the flag and standing up for the national anthem.
Banning TV Shows Mocking Political Islamists
A fatwa banning TV viewers from watching the very popular shows of Bassem Yusif, who routinely mocks Egypt's Islamists and their fatwas, appeared and was originally attributed to Dar Al-Ifta', though it later denied issuing it.
Banning Marriage to Mubarak-Regime "Remnants"
Sheik Omar Stouhi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Islamic Da'wa at Al-Azhar, forbade all Muslim women from marrying any of the sons of the "remnants" of the old regimes, portraying them as non-pious Muslims.
Banning Joining the Dustor Political Party
Sheikh Muhammad Nazmi issued a ban on people from joining Egypt's Dustor political party, headed by Dr. Muhammad al-Baradei, saying that the latter is a secularist and opposed to the implementation of Allah's laws.
**Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.